Lubricant compressor



Nov. 25, 1930.

Filed April 15, 1925 Patented Nov. 25 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEEMILE PIQUEREZ, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO ALEMITE CORPORATION, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE LUBRICANT Application filedApril 15, 1925, Serial This invention relates to lubricant compressors,and more specifically to a triple action compressor for delivery oflubricantunder very high pressure, thus making possible certain andcomplete lubrication of mechanical elements regardless of the resist=ance ofieredv to the flow of lubricant.

According to the invention, the lubricant is first drawn in by suction,and then forced onin successive steps so as to obtain avery high finalpressure all requiring the exertion of only small force to'facilitatedirect and rapid operation of the devices manually withouttheintermediary of a lever or screw.

The intake of lubricant and its double compression isproduced in theembodiment disclosed, by a single piston having reciprocatingrectilinear movement working with two faces in opposite directions, andthe spaces into which the lubricant passes, decrease gradually bysuccessive stages, to obtain the above mentioned stages of pressureincrease.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figs. 1, 2 and 2 show one embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 being acentral longitudinal section, Figure 2 a section on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1, and Fig. 2 a horizontal section of the piston only.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a second embodiment.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1 comprisesa'cylindrical lubricant reservoir 1, provided with a threaded cover 2and containing a follower 3 provided with a seal 4. An axial rod 5passes through cover 2 and piston 3 and carries an external handle. Therod extends into the body 6, threaded into the reservoir 1 to form thebottom thereof. A bore 7 is formed in body 6, closed at its upper end bya threaded plug 8 provided with a packing 9. A piston 10 reciprocates inthe cylinder bore 7, the said piston being formed by an enlargement ofthe rod 5, which rod extends beyond piston 10, as a piston 11, eccentricwith respect to piston 10 within the periphery of which it istangentially inscribed. (See Fig. 2

A transverse inlet 12 formed in body 6 level with the bottom of thereservoir, con- COMPRESSOR No. 23,284, and in France June 6, 1924.

nects compression cylinder 7 with the reservoir 1. A small passage 13formed in body 6 parallel to the central bore 7, communicates therewithat its upper end through port 14, and at its lower end through port 15,opening into an annular groove 15 positioned below opening12 at such adistance that it will be covered by piston 10 when said opening isuncovered. The rod 11 at its lower end passes through an annular valve16 housed in a cylindrical chamber 17, in the body 6, closed by threadedcap 18, provided with a packing 19 around the rod 11.

Valve 16. is provided with a resilient set-in seat 20, which is firmlypressed against collar 21 formed in the upper face of the chamber 17 bythe action of a spring 22 resting on cap 18. A lateral outlet 23 at thebottom of body 6 delivers the lubricant.

There is preferably also provided a safety means which comprises a ball24 set in a socket 25 in the body 6 below the cap 8 and communicatingwith cylinder 7 and reservoir 1. The ball is normally held in its closedposition by a short spring 26, to relieve the pressure in the upper endof the compression cylinder.

The operation is as follows:

With the piston at the top, passage 13 is full of lubricant, as well asthe part of the cylinder between bore 7 and the eccentric rod 11, downto valve 16. Pushing the handle of rod 5 to force the piston down,develops suction over the same, and port 12 is uncovered so thatlubricant flows into cylinder 7; Si-

multaneously the descent of the piston com-.

presses the lubricant below the same and opens valve 16 so that thelubricant is discharged under high pressure through cham ber 17 andoutlet 23. The advance stroke of piston, therefore, producessimultaneously, the double action of suction intake and high pressuredischarge.

Now, when rod 5 is pulled back, the piston rises, compressing thelubricant in the cylinder into passage 13 and its communicating ports.At the end of this upward movement there is thus below the piston,lubricant a1- ready compressed, which upon the next advance stroke willbe further compressed as compression between opposite ends of the pistonwith areas and capacity decreasing successively. It will be observedthat the final pressure thus obtained can be very high.

The safety means 24 only operates when by reason of some obstruction,the pressure in the upper end of the cylinder exceeds the maximum safelimit. At such times the pressure forces the ball valve open and partialreturn of lubricant to reservoir 1 results.

The modifications of Fig. 3 involves the use of a compression meansindependent of the cylindrical reservoir. In this embodimentreservoir 1. provided with a cover 2 and the follower 3, is threadedinto a base 27, having a flat side wall 27 pierced by a tubular spur 28on body 6, for which it forms a pintle permitting body 6 to the swung upbeside reservoir 1. A packing 29 pressed against wall 27 by a spring 30held by a nut 31, assures a tight joint.

The port 12 in stud 28 connects reservoir 1 with cylinder 7, in which ispiston 10, having the eccentric lower portion having a threaded endreceiving a stop nut 32, and a rigid tube 33 provided with a lateralaperture 33 and carrying at its outer end a standard coupling 34.

Cylinder 7 is closed by a plug 8 threaded into its upper end. As in thefirst described modification, body 6 has the by-pass 13 parallel tocylinder 7, communicating therewith through ports 14 and 15'. At itslower end the body 6 provides a housin closed by a threaded cap 18,pierced by tube 33 and provided with packing 19, held by a spring 35abutting at its upper end against nut 32.

The eccentric portion 11 of the piston passes through valve 16 providedwith its in-set resilient seat 20, bearing on the seat 21 under theaction of spring 22, resting at its bottom in an annular groove 17 inthe body 6.

In this embodiment the pressure relief ball 24 is housed in a socket 25,and held in place by spring 26, socket 25 con'ni'iunicating withreservoir 1 through passage 36, opening into port 12.

The operation is as follows:

With the 'device filled with lubricant, as one pulls on cylinder 1,spring will be compressed and suction will develop above the piston.Port 12 is then uncovered and the lubricant enters cylinder 7. At thesame time the piston compresses lubricant between itself and valve 16and when this pressure is high enough the lubricant is discharged intochamber 17 from which it passes into tube 33 through opening 33".

The return stroke is produced by spring 35 pressing on nut 32 to raisepiston 10 and bypass the lubricant above the same through passage 13. Asin the preceding modification, the two strokes of the piston producesthe triple action'of suction intake, low compres sion and highcompression. The pressure relief means 24 will operate precisely as inthe first embodiment. In both embodiments the cover 2 should have an airvent 2 Vithout further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explainthe gist of my invention,

that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the samefor use under various conditions of service without eliminating certainfeatures which may properly be said to constitute the essential items ofnovelty involved, which items are intended to be defined and secured bythe following claims v I claim I 1. A lubricant compressor comprising adifferential area piston having a large end and a small end, a cylindertherefor, a lateral port uncovered at the end of the out stroke to fillthe large end, by-pass for carrying lubricant from the large to thesmall end during the return stroke, the discharge end of said by-passbeing covered by the piston during most of the out stroke, an annularspring-held check valve controlling the discharge from the small end, apressure relief valve at the large end, and a reservoir supporting saidcylinder and surrounding said intake port.

2. A lubricant compressor comprising a differential area piston having alarge end and a small end, a cylinder therefor, a lateral port uncoveredat the end of the out stroke to fill the large end, a by-pass forcarrying lubricant from the large to the small end during the returnstroke, the discharge end of said by-pass being covered by the pistonduring the out stroke and an annular spring-held check valve controllingthe discharge from the small end. v

3. A lubricant compressor comprising a differential area piston having alarge end and a small end, a cylinder therefor,a lateral port uncoveredat the end of the out stroke to fill the large'end, a by-pass forcarrying lubricant from the large to the small end during the returnstroke, the discharge end of said by-pass being covered by the pistonduring the out stroke, an annular spring-held check valve controllingthe discharge from the small end, and a pressure rclief valve at thelarge end.

4. A lubricant compressor comprising a differential area piston, havinga large end and a small end, a cylinder therefor, a lateral portuncovered at the end of the out stroke to fill the large end, a by-passfor carrying lubricant from the large to the small end durmg the returnstroke, the discharge end of said by-pass being covered by the pistonduring the out-stroke, an annular spring-held ill) check valvecontrolling the discharge from the small end, a pressure relief valve atthe large end, and a reservoir surrounding said intake port andreliefvalve.

. '5. A lubricant compressor comprising a differential area piston, acylinder therefor, a lateral port uncovered at the end of the out stroketo fill the large end, a by-pass for carrying lubricant from the largeto the small end durin the return stroke, the discharge end of saiby-pass being covered by the piston during the out stroke, and a checkvalve controllin the discharge from the small end.

6. A lu ricant compressor comprising a differential area piston having alarge end and a small end, a cylinder therefor, a lateral port uncoveredat the end of the out stroke to I sure cylinder, and pressure reliefmeans intermediate said high and low pressure cylinders.

8. Ina device of the character described,.in combinatiom-a chamberhaving an outlet passageway, an auxiliary compartment between saidchamber and said outlet passageway and in communication with both, acheck valve between said compartment and said chamber, and a pair ofpistons operating in and complemental each to said passageway and auxiliary compartment, respectively.

9. A lubricant compressor provided with axially aligned normallyintercommunicating high and low pressure cylinders, a container forsupplying lubricant to the low pressure cylinder, a plungerreciprocablein said high and low pressure cylinders and adapted to cut offcommunication between said cylinders, the effective area of said plungerin said low pressure cylinder being greater than its effective area insaid high pressure cylinder,

means for reciprocating said plunger, and

check valve means permitting flow of lubricant from said low pressurecylinder to said container upon a predetermined difference in pressureon the-opposite sides thereof.

, a 10. In a lubricant compressor, the combination of a chambercontaining lubricant, a

cylinder having two axially connected portions and communicating withsaid chamber, a check valve at the outlet of said cylinder,

' a plunger having twopiston parts of differ- 1 I erable in each of saidportion's of said cyline ent efl'ective area, one of said parts beingopder, one of said piston parts cutting off communication between saidcylinder portions and] the other piston part cutting oif communicationbetween said cylinder and said chamber when said plunger isreciprocated, and a valve controlled bleed in one of said portions forpermitting escape of lubricant therefrom to said chamber.

11. In a lubricating device, in combination, a chamber for containing alubricant, a cylinder having two axially connected portions andcommunicating with said chamber, pistons operable in said cylinderportions, an outlet from one of said cylinder portions and a valvecontrolled bleed from one of said cylinder portions into said chamber.

12. In a lubricating device, in combination, a chamber for contaminga'lubricant, '9. cylinder having two axially connected portions andcommunicatingwith said chamber, pistons operable in said cylinderportions, a bleed from one of said cylinder portions into said chamber,and a discharge nozzle connected with said cylinder.

13. A lubricating device including a chamber for containing a lubricant,a cylinder having an outlet, a plunger operable in said cylinder, meansfor connecting the latter to a member to receive the lubricant, anauxiliary compartment in open communication with said cylinder, andmeans for introducing lubricant into said compartment in increments formaintaining a constant supply for said cylinder.

14. A lubricating device including a chamber for containing a lubricant,a high pressure cylinder communicating with said chamber and having apiston, an auxiliary cylinder communicating with said chamber and saidhigh pressurecylinder, simultaneously op-' erating pistons operable inboth of said cylinders, and a discharge conduit leading from said highpressure'cylinder.

15. A lubricating device including a chamber for containing a lubricant,a high pressure cylinder communicating with said chamber and. having apiston, an auxiliary cylinder communicating and in axial alinement withsaid chamber and said high pressure cylinder, pistons operable in bothof said cylinders, and a discharge conduit leading from said highpressure cylinder.

16. In a device of the character described, in combination, a chamberhaving a high pressure cylinder, an auxiliary cylinder between saidchamber and said high pressure 0 linder, and in communication withboth,-a c eek valve between saidauxiliary cylinder and said chamber, apair of pistons complemental each to said cylinders, respectively, aplunger rod for jointly operating said pistons, and a follower in saidchamber and carried by said plunger rod.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, this 23d dagiof March,1925.

- E ILE PIQUEREZ.

